Gimme three cheers for vegetables!

When I taught fitness classes at our local university, I would have the students fill out food logs during the nutrition part of the course. I know I shouldn't have been surprised, since college kids aren't known for healthy eating habits, yet it always amazed me to see that most of them weren't eating any fruits and vegetables!

I hope that during this Daniel Fast you have come to appreciate the foods God created for us - foods that are designed to make our bodies and to function more efficiently. Maybe you cannot say that you love vegetables yet, but perhaps these recipes are challenging you to move beyond corn and green beans to more adventurous dishes!

Here's an easy vegetable stir-fry that features three vegetables - asparagus, mushrooms, onions. It can be served alone or with beans and rice as a main dish.

Asparagus-Mushroom Sauté

1 TB extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced onions
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 lb asparagus spears, trimmed & cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup Vegetable Broth or water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 TB dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions, mushrooms, asparagus, and vegetable broth, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook until onions are translucent and most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Recipe Notes

• Add chickpeas and brown rice to make this sauté a main dish. 
• Use as a topping for Mashed Potato & Corn Casserole.
• Serve with quinoa or lentils.